blue suite: how to prepare a future career in advanced manufacturing.

Singapore is strategically located within a six-hour radius of any Asia Pacific country, which makes it an ideal regional hub for businesses, including manufacturers. Despite having limited natural resources, the country boosts pro-business policies and a rich talent pool to position itself as the top location for investments and innovation. 

As part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), or commonly known as Industry 4.0, the city-state has been developing highly-innovative technologies and state-of-the-art facilities to attract more companies to set up research centres and smart manufacturing buildings in Singapore. The addition and expansion of world-class manufacturing companies would also result in the creation of more high-value jobs for the local workforce.

Pushing the boundaries of traditional manufacturing, advanced manufacturing has certainly transformed the manufacturing landscape across the globe.

why the shift towards advanced manufacturing? 

The future of manufacturing is about using automation and advanced technology. It’s not uncommon to see more and more companies start to embrace advanced manufacturing technologies to streamline their manufacturing processes. 

Advanced manufacturing uses emerging and innovative technologies to help companies improve their ability to produce products in a faster, better and more cost-efficient way. Companies would also be able to use real-time data to be more agile and prepared to meet anticipated market demands. 

In addition to reducing energy usage and waste production, these new technologies and equipment help companies move toward attaining their environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. Business leaders will also be able to accurately track and report on the new sustainability metrics, to accelerate our transition towards net-zero. 

Through research and development, we are already seeing verticals such as healthcare, aerospace and automotive adopting new technologies like additive manufacturing (AM).

Additive manufacturing is more commonly known as 3D printing, robotics and artificial intelligence. The industry uses emerging technologies that allow them to build three-dimensional (3D) objects from digital designs using computer controlled machines. It has many advantages over traditional methods of production.

Careers in additive manufacturing are usually involved with designing model production processes. Over time, we’ll see more manufacturing sectors such as food, textiles and metals adopt similar technologies. 

how will advanced manufacturing change the skills and talent landscape? 

For the longest time (and even till now), many people shun away from jobs in manufacturing industries because they are seen to be laborious and tiresome. Manufacturing facilities are also located away from the city’s bustle and hustle, so it may take you longer to commute to work or to meet up with your friends for dinner. 

However, the shift towards smart manufacturing could change the perception of the entire industry and our attitudes towards a career in manufacturing. 

These days, manufacturing facilities look a lot more like research labs with the integration of robust R&D and emerging technologies. The nature of the manufacturing jobs is also becoming more agile, which means that employees get the chance to work on multiple projects and use different equipment and technological tools in the lifespan of their careers. 

To help workers acquire new skills to optimise the use of such advanced manufacturing technologies, companies are investing heavily in developing their human capital. Advanced manufacturing companies are actively hiring and developing their talent to use high-technology tools and equipment to stay competitive.

It will require a combination of relevant skills and knowledge on advanced technologies to be successful within a manufacturing industry.

Digital transformation could also make shift work a thing of the past, as employees would be able to operate the equipment and systems as well as generate reports from home some days of the week. This flexibility would allow employees to further develop their soft skills in communication and time management.

Having these in-demand skills would open up more career opportunities as more manufacturers ramp up their investments in building their additive manufacturing capabilities in Singapore.

finding your future in advanced manufacturing

From engineering to design; manufacturing to assembly, organisations are eager to start creating new roles and departments to drive their digital transformation journey. Having the right resources and capabilities in place means that companies will be better positioned to leverage any business opportunities that arise.

While some are hiring senior executives to take the lead on digital transformation, others are already scaling up their future workers and recruiting young professionals who possess relevant advanced skills for these new roles.

There are benefits to becoming part of the pioneering team in smart manufacturing in Singapore. You’ll get to see how strategies come to life and acquire in-demand skills and valuable experience when you start using these technologies in a working environment. The first-hand learning experience would better prepare you for future career developments in this space.

A quick search on our website will show you a number of interesting job opportunities such as design engineers, project managers and quality specialists across several verticals with some of the smart manufacturing companies in Singapore.

The advanced manufacturing sector is constantly evolving, with new technologies and processes being developed all the time. As manufacturing firms innovate and scale up their operations, there will be more jobs for those with the right digital skills. So if you're interested in pursuing a lifetime career in advanced manufacturing, make sure you continue to upskill yourself and stay ahead of the curve.

be agile and prepared as you pursue your career in manufacturing

The logistics industry is constantly evolving, and so should you. In order to succeed successfully professionally in the advanced manufacturing workforce, one would need a wide range of relevant skills and qualifications and constant professional development. 

Read the job description carefully to evaluate whether you have the right skills and knowledge for the opportunity and research the company to find out whether it’s an environment where you can thrive. 

As you search for your next role, your expectations may change along the way. To realise your full potential, you’ll need to be agile and prepared to make changes.

Looking to explore your future career in advanced manufacturing? Head on over to our jobs portal to start applying for jobs in manufacturing and be an integral part of a future-ready workforce. 

If you don’t see any jobs that interest you now, you can let us know what you’re looking for, so that you’ll be the first to know when an opportunity comes around. 

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randstad blue suite

The Randstad Blue Suite is a collection of industry insights from the Randstad leadership team.